The Twelve Most Important Things to Know About Angels

Vivificat! - A Catholic Blog of Commentary and Opinion ^ | 6 July 2006 | Teófilo

[Teófilo]

According to Dr. Peter Kreeft.

1. They really exist. Not just in our minds, or our myths, or our symbols, or our culture. They are as real as your dog, or your sister, or electricity.
   
2. They’re present, right here, right now, right next to you, reading these words with you.
   
3. They’re not cute, cuddly, comfortable, chummy, or “cool”. They are fearsome and formidable. They are huge. They are warriors.
   
4. They are the real “extra-terrestrials”, the real “Super-men”, the ultimate aliens. Their powers are far beyond those of all fictional creatures.
   
5. They are more brilliant minds than Einstein.
   
6. They can literally move the heavens and the earth if God permits them.
   
7. There are also evil angels, fallen angels, demons, or devils. These too are not myths. Demon possessions, and exorcisms, are real.
   
8. Angels are aware of you, even though you can’t usually see or hear them. But you can communicate with them. You can talk to them without even speaking.
   
9. You really do have your very own “guardian angel”. Everybody does.
   
10. Angels often come disguised. “Do not neglect hospitality, for some have entertained angels unawares”—that’s a warning from life’s oldest and best instruction manual.
    
11. We are on a protected part of a great battlefield between angels and devils, extending to eternity.
    
12. Angels are sentinels standing at the crossroads where life meets death. They work especially at moments of crisis, at the brink of disaster—for bodies, for souls, and for nations.

Read all about angels here or better still, listen to a conference by Dr. Kreeft on the subject here.

[Teófilo]

Typos. Blunders. Mine.

[Teófilo]

PING!

[Peace Is Coming]

bttt

[A_perfect_lady]

(whisper) "Constantine!"

[Pyro7480]

13.) Every diocese and archdiocese has a guardian angel.

[AdamSelene235]

You really do have your very own “guardian angel”. Everybody does.

You would think he would have the decency to go and get me a beer when asked nicely.

[Teófilo]

You would think he would have the decency to go and get me a beer when asked nicely.

You can't have what he can't have. (LOL!)

-Theo

[Temple Owl]

ping

[Pyro7480]

Padre Pio and the Guardian Angel

[Pyro7480]

Catholic ping!

[AdamSelene235]

Good that you have a sense of humor about this ;-).

[Nihil Obstat]

great article - thanks for the link and for the reminder.

[Pontiac]

Bump for later.

[mcshot]

Bump for am coffee up.

[Alex Murphy]

They really exist. Not just in our minds, or our myths, or our symbols, or our culture. They are as real as your dog, or your sister, or electricity.

I see the author has never met my sister :P

[nkycincinnatikid]

"they are as real as your dog, or your sister, or electricity" Sometimes they ARE your sister, brother!

[murphE]

The Chaplet of St. Michael the Archangel 

     The Chaplet of St. Michael is a wonderful way to honor this great Archangel along with the other nine Choirs of Angels. What do we mean by Choirs? It seems that God has created various orders of Angels. Sacred Scripture destinguishes nine such groupings: Saraphin, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels and Angels (Isa 6:2; Gen. 3:24; Col. 1:6; Eph. 1:21; Rom. 8:38). There may be more groupings but these are the only ones that have been revealed to us. The Saraphim is believed to be the highest Choir, the most imtimately united to God, while the Angelic Choir is the lowest.
     The history of this Chaplet goes back to a devout Servant of God Antonia d'Astonac, who had a vision of St. Michael. He told Antonia to honor him by nine salutations to the nine Choirs of Angels. St. Michael promised that whoever would practice this devotion in his honor would have, when approaching Holy Commmunion, ans escort of nine angels chosen from each of the nine Choirs. In addition, for those who would reciete the Chaplet daily, he promised his continual assistance and that of all the holy angels during life.

 

O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father, etc.

(Say one Our Father and three Hail Marys after each of the following nine salutations in honor of the nine Choirs of Angels)

1. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Seraphim may the Lord make us worthy to burn with the fire of perfect charity. Amen.
2. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Cherubim may the Lord grant us the grace to leave the ways of sin and run in the paths of Christian perfection. Amen.
3. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Thrones may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere spirit of humility. Amen.
4. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Dominions may the Lord give us grace to govern our senses and overcome any unruly passions. Amen.
5. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Powers may the Lord protect our souls against the snares and temptations of the devil. Amen.
6. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Virtues may the Lord preserve us from evil and falling into temptation. Amen.
7. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Principalities may God fill our souls with a true spirit of obedience. Amen.
8. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Archangels may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good works in order that we may attain the glory of Heaven. Amen.
9. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Angels may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal life and conducted in the life to come to Heaven. Amen.

Say one Our Father in honor of each of the following leading Angels: St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael and our Guardian Angel.

Concluding prayers

O glorious prince St. Michael, chief and commander of the heavenly hosts, guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits, servant in the house of the Divine King and our admirable conductor, you who shine with excellence and superhuman virtue deliver us from all evil, who turn to you with confidence and enable us by your gracious protection to serve God more and more faithfully every day.

Pray for us, O glorious St. Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ, that we may be made worthy of His promises.

Almighty and Everlasting God, Who, by a prodigy of goodness and a merciful desire for the salvation of all men, has appointed the most glorious Archangel St. Michael Prince of Your Church, make us worthy, we ask You, to be delivered from all our enemies, that none of them may harass us at the hour of death, but that we may be conducted by him into Your Presence. This we ask through the merits of Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

---

SOURCE

[ELS]

One of my favorite chaplets.

[Ainast]

My gaurdian angel has done his job well. After all the stupid crap I've pulled I should be dead. I'm the proud recipient of many Darwin Awards. I'm learnin though lol.

[OpusatFR]

Thank You for this post!

[Aquinasfan]

I went to see Peter Kreeft speak at our church back when I was in my early '20s. I asked him if angels really exist. (Doh!) He said, "they do, if Scripture is to be believed." I didn't understand his answer at the time. Pretty embarrassing, looking back on it.

I've been reading the angels section of the Summa the past few days. You can see why St. Thomas is called "the Angelic Doctor." His teaching on the angels is absolutely brilliant. See the first section, parts 106-114.

[Tax-chick]

They are huge.

How can something with no body have a size? Surely means angels are hugh.

[Bigg Red]

My guardian angel has helped me many times.

[Pyro7480]

My guardian angel has helped me many times.

That is definitely the case with me as well. I own mine BIG TIME.

[NYer]

My guardian angel has helped me many times.

Me too!

Several years ago, on Christmas Day, in the middle of a blizzard with white out conditions, I went looking for my teen daughter who had not yet returned home. The tires of my car could not grip the 6"+ deep snow and the car was stuck on a hill. I prayed to God for help and asked my guardian angel to send a plow (judging from the 6" depth of the snow, I knew a plow had not been through for quite some time). After finishing my prayer, I sat in the eerie silence of the storm, straining to see through the conditions and praying for my daughter's safety. Then, I heard it; muffled at first but growing stronger. Up ahead, two beams of light sliced through the falling snow. A large plow steadily moved down the hill and cleared a swathe of roadway next to my car!

On yet another occasion, I asked my guardian angel to help my daughter who was nervous about auditioning for a place in Suburban Council Chorus. This was her first year in the school and first time in chorus. 75 children from the school auditioned. When the principal announced that only 7 had been chosen, my daughter was stunned to hear her name called. (Thank you, guardian angel).

[Convert from ECUSA]

One of my favorites:

St. Michael, the archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the Power of God, cast into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

I pray that prayer after my daily Rosary and after each Mass.

[ELS]

That prayer and others used to be said after a low Mass as requested by Pope Leo XIII.

[Convert from ECUSA]

"That prayer and others used to be said after a low Mass as requested by Pope Leo XIII."

That's why I pray it after Mass. The only time I've heard it used after Mass is on EWTN after their Masses. I pray it anyway, despite a bare minimum of pause after the recessional before the organ starts booming out and everyone and their dog starts yapping like a bunch of poodles on speed.

[AnnaZ]

The angels described as having four faces, and four sets of eyes, fascinate me. Can you imagine 360-degree, panoramic vision? Too cool. (Would really help with watching all three kids at the pool.)

= )

[redgolum]

My guardian angel has done his job well. After all the stupid crap I've pulled I should be dead.

Long story, but a good friend of mine once commented that when I die my guardian angel is going to explain all the times he bailed me out of trouble!

[fatima]

Thanks nice article.

[onedoug]

"If I knew God I'd be Him."

[PetroniusMaximus]

Interesting. Couple of questions...

What does he offer as proof of the following statements:


"They are huge."


"But you can communicate with them. You can talk to them without even speaking."

[Ainast]

lol mine will probobly be granted a retirement package on par with what the Exxon CEO got lol.

[WriteOn]

It still is.

[ELS]

I have experienced it after low traditional Latin Masses, but not after low Novus Ordo Masses at which I have assisted. To which were you referring?

[Teófilo]

I suppose that you need to buy his book to find out in detail.

I know nothing about the "size" of angels and I do not know his reasoning behind it.

As for the second one, the reasoning goes like this:

1. Angels are pure spirits

2. Pure spirits have no "parts."

3. Pure spirts do communicate

4. Since they have no "parts," they communicate in ways that do not require a "mouth."

5. Human beings are both flesh and spirit.

6. A human being's spiritual dimension is similar to an angel's--but not the same.

7. Hence, hypothetically--and actually in the life of the saints" a human being can communicate with an angel without recurring to natural speech--"mentally," if you wish.

Unless God allows the angel to manifest himself physically, of course.

-Theo

[Salvation]

Excellent post.

[Salvation]

Thanks for that link. I had forgotten about it.